Washington: An activist group in the United States has launched a political initiative within the US Congress called the Peace Declaration. It aims to urge members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to pledge to take tougher stances on military aid to Israel, the influence of lobbying groups in US elections, freedom of expression, and the application of US and international law.
According to Union of OIC News Agencies, the initiative's organizers have announced that three members of the US House of Representatives have signed the declaration: Ro Khanna of California, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Delia Ramirez of Illinois. The declaration includes several key commitments, most notably a pledge not to accept donations or forms of political support from organizations like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), and Christians United for Israel (CUFI), or their affiliates and donor networks that support continued unconditional support for Israel.
The signatories also call for enforcing US laws relating to military aid, including those that prohibit providing aid to entities involved in gross human rights violations. Additionally, they support international legal accountability and reject the prosecution of the International Criminal Court or its officials for investigating war crimes.
The declaration includes a pledge to oppose any legislation that would expand permanent integration between US and Israeli military and intelligence institutions. It defends freedom of expression, including the right to criticize the Israeli government and support boycott campaigns, and calls for reforming the election finance system to reduce the influence of big money and special interest groups in US politics.
Furthermore, the declaration calls for recognizing the grave violations committed in the Gaza Strip and supports using American and international legal tools to hold those responsible accountable. The initiative began with Representative Ro Khanna signing it in June, followed by Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez.
Pro-Palestinian rights activists are working to broaden the initiative by reaching out to members of Congress and urging them to sign, in an effort to transform the declaration into a political benchmark by which the positions of candidates and members of Congress can be assessed regarding US policy on Israel and Palestine.
The initiative focuses primarily on issues of American domestic policy, particularly campaign finance, military aid, and legal accountability, rather than offering a comprehensive vision for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.